Mobile Home & Trailer toter driver?

Discussion in 'Questions To Truckers From The General Public' started by Zekaryah, Feb 27, 2019.

  1. Zekaryah

    Zekaryah Bobtail Member

    5
    2
    Feb 26, 2019
    0
    Hello truckers! I know few out there you have some experience driving as toter for mobile homes or big shack trailers. I need some good inputs from experienced truck driver and it is worthy to becoming mobile home & trailer toter driver for doing own private business? I am just having hard time to decide if its worthy to start my own business as mobile home toter driver. Its unlikely going be full time unless there good in demands in Idaho state but I thought would be nice to add my side jobs. Here my questions:

    1. Good income? Do you get paid by miles or hourly? Whats your average yearly salary?
    2. Do you love work as toter mobile home or you really frell hate it very much and why?
    3. Do you have take over-wide mobile home go in the weight scale? Any different than regular semi trucks?
    4. Some certain hydraulic hitch receiver setup adjustable can be tall as 6ft why need it so high? (Blocking the 5th hitch and make it useless to tow any 5th trailers)
    5. Any wise tip & advice you want to share?

    I am aware there some dangerous such tire bombs or axle breakage but I do believe it can eliminated or reduce the great risk if I add the cameras on tires, temp sensor probes at hub spindles and check it every 30-50miles for any loose bolts, fresh tires, etc. I would easy rejected any old trailers have loose roofing/panels or rotting wood side floor joints cause easy collapse while towing it. I'm no rookie but do have some experiences hauling some mobile homes and trailers lately.

    The story why I want become safe and professional mobile home toter driver. I did force learn it all by myself the lesson after hired terrible John R. Newman mobile home toter driver in Eastern Idaho he transport it my first mobile home by backing up and almost killed my blue spruce tree and damaged some at rear end alum paneling. He even never apologized it for his mistake backing up or give me discounted cost. it As he seem never do safety inspects the axle & wheels prior leaving the old mobile home park site. Sure it did broke one of axle at somewhere highway and he said it was bearing failure and called me for asking permit to take MH trailer to shop for replace axle. I told them OK yeah fine... by time he got here and unbelievable I saw one of same problem old axle at other side hub really so loose and funny offset and the U bolts on leaf spring really almost ready to lose it, pretty much guaranteed second time breakage hub if he drive it just few more miles on it. He charged me more than quoted on phone for $1.2k @240 miles trip and at final charged me $1.8k ($600 labor and used part incorrect & unsafe old 4k hub & spring rated on my original 7k hub axles on MH trailer wow what a rip off.) It made me thinking it never was bearing failure in first place, more likely it was bolts loosing cause dragging axle cause to stress & break off the bearing. The shop never bother to check it other bolts on axles.

    So I did end up decide to pull two remains over wide mobile home from MT to ID state by myself and both MH trailers made it home safely without major problems. Only once I missed the important exit to other hwy then I got surprise into the unexpected road work construction with thousands of orange cones only set 12 ft apart approx for about 7-8 miles and my MH trailer was almost at 11 3/4 wide and not single one orange cone I did knock it off but it was frelling challenge because It very little to afford "wander" on road the gap both side of MH trailer was only roughly 3in - 6in to orange cones. Triple threat of stress the police did briefly following behind of my MH over wide trailer and probably police was hoping find a reason to give me a ticket if I should knock any orange cones at road work construction but thankful nothing happen. Certainty something not for any rookie driver with fainting heart problems and lucky I was born with great driving skills. Well, I better stop typing and trying keep my story in simple ha!

    I got good basic 1980's Chevy C70 medium duty truck come with air brake system and I was going to do swap to industries Deutz air cooled engine due to better reliability than stock detroit fuel pincher 8.2L engine. Probably will convert to 4x4 too :) I hope this post will become also useful for other new mobile home toter drivers who want to learn it or trying find the FAQ info.
     
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